Telegram Founder Paul Durov Detained in France on Various Charges

Telegram founder Paul Durov was detained by French authorities at Bourget Airport. Durov, wanted on charges related to lack of moderation on Telegram, faces accusations of money laundering, drug trafficking, and child crimes. He had not frequented France since the arrest warrant was issued.

Paul Durov, the founder of Telegram messaging app, was detained by French authorities at Bourget Airport outside Paris, CNN reported. French anti-fraud officers, attached to customs, took Durov into custody on Saturday evening following his arrival from Azerbaijan, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.

Durov, 39, is under a French arrest warrant due to insufficient moderation on Telegram, allegedly facilitating money laundering, drug trafficking, and sharing pedophilic content. BFMTV noted that Durov had seldom traveled to France or Europe since the warrant's issuance.

French authorities accuse Durov of complicity in drug trafficking, crimes against children, and fraud, stemming from Telegram's lack of moderation and his non-cooperation with law enforcement, reported the Moscow Times. Durov, who now resides in Dubai, became a naturalized French citizen in August 2021.

Previously, Durov founded the VKontakte social network and left Russia in 2014 after refusing to share user data with Russian security services. Russia's attempt to block Telegram over similar data protection issues was unsuccessful. Telegram, popular among Russian speakers, is integral for war-related information sharing in Ukraine and reportedly used by the Russian military for communication.

(With inputs from agencies.)